Broncos' offseason rife with drama

Since winning the Super Bowl, Denver has dealt with distractions

Broncos linebacker Von Miller was named Super Bowl MVP on Feb. 7 and is now is heated contract negotiations with the team. (AAron Ontiveroz / The Denver Post)

The roller-coaster ride that carried the Broncos to Super Bowl 50 last season didn't end when the confetti rained down at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. The car only sped up. More loops were added. More twists on the field. And many more turns off the field.

The Broncos' offseason has been a drama-packed four months, with parties fit for a million, high-profile exits and arrivals, new contracts, restructured contracts, legal run-ins, an ongoing quarterback saga, a meeting with the president, the absence of the Super Bowl MVP from team workouts, and, oh, yes, some really, really big rings.

"I think if you're in this league and you're in this business, you're going to deal with distractions," Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said. "That's part of it. I think the key is that you deal with them openly and honestly with your players, but you keep working. ... Remember, our team dealt with a lot to start the season last year."

It certainly did. And certainly it's expected that some sort of drama, some level of controlled chaos, would ensue after a Super Bowl-winning season.

But the offseason of 2016 was a wild one:

The exodus and overhaul

The biggest domino fell March 6, when Peyton Manning announced his retirement from the NFL. After one of the most tumultuous seasons in his career, the future Hall of Fame quarterback told a packed crowd of reporters and teammates at Dove Valley: "There is just something about 18 years. Eighteen is a good number."

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For Malik Jackson, 90 million was a good number. The free-agent defensive end expectedly left for riches in Jacksonville. Inside linebacker Danny Trevathan left for about $24 million in Chicago.

Denver's offensive line was transformed with veteran cuts, free-agent signings and the arrival of tackles Donald Stephenson and Russell Okung.

And then there was Brock Osweiler, once deemed the Broncos' quarterback of the future. He received a $72 million reward from the Texans for his seven starts with the Broncos in 2015. The move, arguably the most shocking in free agency, left the Broncos with a gaping hole at the most important position on the field. But looking back, general manager John Elway believes the move was decided long before free agency hit, when Osweiler was benched for Manning in the regular-season finale.

"I think that had something to do with where he was," Elway said this month. "But Houston wanted him that bad to go ahead and pay him a whole heck of a lot of money."

Let's make a deal

Miami was willing to pay running back C.J. Anderson a whole heck of a lot of money. The Broncos initially used a low-round tender on Anderson, worth $1.67 million for one season. So the Dolphins capitalized by signing him to a four-year, $18 million offer sheet that the Broncos later matched. Denver seemingly underestimated Anderson's market value, but the team's financial situation changed drastically when Osweiler left.

While Anderson was given a healthy pay raise, outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware agreed to a restructured contract to lower his salary and cap hit for 2016.

And, on the final day of organized team activities last week, inside linebacker Brandon Marshall, a restricted free agent who attended workouts without signing his second-round tender, agreed to a four-year contract extension that includes $20 million guaranteed.

"For them to see me as an integral part of this team and of the defense, that's huge," Marshall said. "It speaks volumes. It means a lot to me that they believe in me because there are so many people that didn't."

The QB saga

The Broncos traded for veteran quarterback Mark Sanchez, giving them a bit of insurance after losing Manning and Osweiler. But the search for a third quarterback continued. Elway hosted Colin Kaepernick at least once at his home in an effort to sway the quarterback to restructure his contract and join the Broncos. Elway also kicked the tires on Sam Bradford, the Eagles' disgruntled quarterback who signed a hefty two-year extension. But on April 28, after hours of calling and negotiating while the NFL Draft was going on, the hunt for QB No. 3 was settled when Elway traded up to snag Memphis' Paxton Lynch in the first round. The Post-Peyton Trio was set, but the drama ensued on the practice field, where Sanchez and Trevor Siemian vaulted to 1A and 1B during OTA work.

"I think they're looking each other right in the eye throughout the whole course of the offseason, as far who is ahead and who is one or two," Kubiak said of Sanchez and Siemian. "I think those two guys are right there with each other. I think it's a very competitive situation."

Legal troubles

Less than a week after winning Super Bowl 50, safety Shiloh Keo was arrested on suspicion of DUI in his home state of Idaho. In late May, wide receiver Cody Latimer was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant. And in early June, cornerback Aqib Talib suffered a gunshot wound by an "unknown" suspect outside a Dallas nightclub. Although he is expected to make a full recovery, the incident forced him to miss the team's trip to the White House. Depending on his involvement, he could face legal ramifications and a suspension from the NFL.

Parties and rings

The Dom Perignon was flowing last Sunday when the 2015 Broncos reunited at Sports Authority Field at Mile High to receive their "really big" rings and, for one last time, celebrate their Super Bowl run. Osweiler, who cited Houston's OTA work as reason for not attending the White House trip, sat out this one too. But Von Miller attended, pushing aside acrimony over contract talks — at least for one night.

The Miller negotiations

Miller parlayed his Super Bowl MVP award into a grand media tour, with stops on talk shows and a spot on "Dancing With the Stars." While holding out of the offseason program, Miller has said repeatedly that he wants to be a Bronco for life. He loves his teammates and he loves his coaches, he says. He does not, however, love that franchise tag or that six-year offer the Broncos handed him in early June that includes $38.5 million fully guaranteed at signing.

Naturally, he has voiced his angst over the contract negotiations via Instagram and Chelsea Handler's show on Netflix.

The sides have until July 15 to reach a long-term agreement. If not, Miller has to the play on the tag or not at all. Until then, may the drama continue.

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